The body type sections (e.g., Primary Legislative Body, Committee, Board or Commission) describe the heart of the workflow process for Legistar. Each body type section lists the workflow controls appropriate to that body type. For example, the section called Committee stores the agenda generation template and rules for the generation of any committee agenda, and maintains all the workflow rules describing the actions that can be taken by any committee on file types, and the corresponding results. Each of the body type sections has the same set of tabs:

  • Agenda Definitions (Agenda Settings and Advanced Settings)
  • Workflow Actions

If a body type will have many similar characteristics of an existing one, you can copy a body type's workflow control options to save time over creating them from scratch. 

Note: Only those bodies that hold meetings that are supported by the Legistar agenda management process have entries in the Agenda Definitions tab; these entries describe how their agendas are generated and formatted.

Specifying Agenda Settings by Body Type

Use the Agenda Settings screen to define the outline for the agenda. The outline includes headings, rules, and other text that is on the agenda every time it is generated. During the automatic agenda generation, the program processes each header line according to its controlling logic.

Enter all headings in agenda definitions in the order that they are on the agenda from the first order of business to adjournment. 

Legistar pulls legislative files from the database and inserts them under the appropriate agenda header lines if those files match the settings in the Body, File Type, and File Status fields for the header line. For example, if line 765 with the section header “Recommendations of the Rules Committee” lists Rules Committee, Ordinance, and First Reading for the Body, File Type, and File Status fields respectively, then the program locates all Ordinances on First Reading with a controlling body of Rules Committee, and places them under this heading in file number order.

To Specify Agenda Settings:

  1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, then click the government body for which you want to specify agenda settings. The Agenda Definitions > Agenda Settings tab is displayed by default. The screen displays a list of previously added settings. 

agendasettingslist.png

  1. Click New. The following fields display:

  1. Complete the following fields and checkboxes (fields with asterisks are required):
     
ItemDescription

Sequence

Assign a sequence number to each section heading to determine its order on the agenda. To enable you to add new items without renumbering the entire sequence, we recommend that you assign the sequence numbers as follows: 5, 10, 15, etc. 

Force Header

Select this checkbox to print the section heading even if there are no files listed below the heading. If you leave this checkbox blank, the section heading only prints if there are legislative files found by the system that match the data retrieval logic for this line.

Examples of section headings for which you would select the Force Header checkbox:

CALL TO ORDER, INVOCATION, APPROVAL OF MINUTES, ADJOURNMENT.

*Body Type

This is a read-only field, which displays the body that you have selected.

Agenda Number

Enter the number this section will have on the agenda form and print on the report. The number can be in numeric or alphabetical format. Users can change the number manually on the Agenda and Minutes screens.

Section Header

Enter the heading that displays on the form and prints on the report.

Examples: APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES, UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

Style

Select the heading style—i.e. the format and position of the heading—from the drop-down list provided. This field previews what each style looks like. Use the Header Styles screen in the Workflow Controls section to set up header styles.

Section Footer

Enter the section footer, which displays at the end of the section.

Controlling Body

Select a controlling body from the drop-down list provided. The controlling body enables the grouping of items by committee or department names that report on the primary legislative body's agenda.

File Type

Select a legislative file type from the drop-down list provided. The file type enables users to indicate which status to use under this heading.

Note: Users can pull in items by file type without selecting a status and vice versa.

Use the Legislative Files screen to set up the file types that will be available in this field.

It’s possible to create a new file type from the Agenda Settings screen as follows:

  1. Click the appropriate plus sign beside the field.
  2. Click New, and add the new record.
  3. Click Save, then click Go Back. The new record is now available in the drop-down list.

File Status

Select a legislative file status from the drop-down list provided. The file status enables users to specify the status of the file type.

Note: Users can pull in items by file status without selecting a type and vice versa.

Use the File Statuses tab in the Legislative Files section to set up the file statuses that will be available in this field.

It’s possible to create a new file status from the Agenda Settings screen as follows:

  1. Click the appropriate plus sign beside the field.
  2. Click New, and add the new record.
  3. Click Save, then click Go Back. The new record is now available in the drop-down list.
  1. Click Save. 

Specifying Advanced Agenda Settings by Body Type

  1. From the left menu, click Workflow Control, click the government body for which you want to specify advanced agenda settings, then click the Advanced Settings tab. The Advanced Settings screen is displayed. 

agendaadvancedsettings.png

  1. Select an agenda item, and complete the following fields:
     
ItemDescription

Edit Standard Paragraph

Enter additional text to display on the agenda. Typically, this text is for informational purposes regarding procedures during the meeting. 

Edit SQL

This field should be used only by Granicus or by a system administrator who has had advanced training from Granicus on this function.

  1. Click Save.